Amagansett, NY - Two parts inspiration, one part collaboration, ‘Going The Distance - Blurring The Lines of Art and Sport’ features images captured in real time of the 2009 Tour de France. French-born American artist Bijou Le Tord photographed the race as it unfolded from her studio in the French countryside.
The exhibition opens at Sylvester & Co. At Home on Main Street in Amagansett on Saturday, July 3rd with a reception at 6 p.m. and silent auction to benefit the LIVESTRONG Foundation at 4 p.m.
Inspired by the sheer determination and stamina of the racers and the legacy of Lance Armstrong’s cancer surviving grit, Le Tord found herself mesmerized by the daily physical and emotional drama that is the Tour de France. Operating three cameras and a hand-held fourth, Le Tord photographed the daily rounds. “I followed the road and anticipated precisely where to shoot,” Le Tord explained. “The road offers a linear perspective, just like in art. Three weeks of intense focus behind the camera and the months that followed editing the images, I never saw anything flat again.”
Cataloging the thousands of images she captured, Le Tord set about the process of transforming the images into a stylized view that elevates each frame to an art form all its own. Her focus and anticipa- tion translates split-second determination pried open by technology -- creating a window by which to see an ethereal yet gritty fleeting moment. Her images are honest and internal in their intimacy, revealing the photograph within the image.
The exhibition is a serendipitous culmination of Le Tord’s artistic journey and the challenge to meet Armstrong on his terms -- in a world framed by a camera’s lens. The images reflect a symbolic respect for the distance traveled.
Raised in France and educated in America, Le Tord shares her interpretation of the Tour de France with an international audience, likening the excitement and thrill of the race to American’s love of baseball and the World Series -- with fans eager to catch of glimpse of this iconic athlete.
A natural born artist, Le Tord revels in “the hidden secrets of creativity,” and shares her intrigue with her audience in images large and small, sweeping and intense, urban and pastoral. Her passion for the discoveries digital technology unearths is evident in her range and depth of image. “As an artist, no matter what you do, expression is how you do it and what you make of it.”
A talented illustrator and author, she is well-known for her collection of children’s books about 20th century artists, - A Bird Or Two, A Story About Matisse; - A Blue Butterfly, A Story About Monet; and - Un peu de bleu sur les ailes d’un ange : A Story About Chagall.
For additional information and details, contact Jordan at Sylvester & Co. At Home, 631-267-7779, info@sylvesterathome.com. To arrange for press interviews, contact Bijou Le Tord by emailing bijou- letord@me.com.
154 Main Street, Sag Harbor, NY 11963 info@sylvesterathome.com
631-267-9777
In Our Gallery For Immediate Release
SYLVESTER & CO. AT HOME
Going The Distance- Blurring The Lines Between Art and Sport Tour de France Images by Bijou Le Tord
